by Hannah Coombs | Jul 10, 2015 | South Africa 2015
Many had a long lie in, as we didn’t leave the hotel until 10 for Table Mountain. After the short drive we boarded the cable cars for the journey to the clouds. As this is exactly what we saw, clouds. Unfortunately for us visibility was low and the majority of what we could see were clouds, but it did clear long enough to snap a few pictures of the town below and vast ocean. After a trip to the Café and the gift shop we were all very happy but the best was yet to come. In true AFO fashion a ceilidh ensued at the top of the mountain. All other visitors and staff were thoroughly impressed with our energetic dancing and fast paced music. As it was a very special day for a very special person, as Mr G would say, we all sang Happy Birthday to Fraser Graham as he stood on top of a table on Table Mountain. The cable car back down had a slightly better view as the clouds began to clear, overall a good time was had by all, but this day was only half way through. We then travelled to Hout Bay....
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 8, 2015 | South Africa 2015
It was a good start to the day; we all had a lovely breakfast before leaving for a day of sightseeing. We started at the Cape of Good Hope, for once again another group photo and a few laughs as people tried to climb over rocks to get as far out as they could go. I was walking next to Dave when we slipped and I had to pull him up, he also happened to be holding my camera at the time, luckily it was unharmed. As was Dave. Afterwards we drove round to Cape Point and made the climb to the top. The view was breath-taking and we even saw a Whale in the sea – well it wasn’t actually a Whale it was a rock but it could have been a whale. Then we saw an Elephant – well it wasn’t an elephant but it was a Dassie which is the closest relative to an elephant. Then we went to see the Penguins – don’t worry these were actually penguins. Our last stop was the beach. The weather was not great, the sun was hidden behind the clouds and wind had picked up. We had lunch in a lovely little café style restaurant right on the sea front before some brave people paddled in the water. I went in myself and I have to say it might have even been colder than the water back home. After a few ice creams we drove back to the hotel for some free time before dinner....
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 7, 2015 | South Africa 2015
After leaving the beach by the Wilderness hotel the buses left for Cape Town. It was another long trip but was split up by a few stops. For lunch most of the orchestra opted for some home comforts in the form of KFC. Which was delicious. The landscape on the road as we drove was beautiful and we often whipped out our cameras and leaned out the window to snap a few pictures. We even came across a few elephants in the distance. The on bus entertainment was much the same, with one exception. After a short discussion between Joely and myself she somehow challenged herself to see how long she could hold my foot and leg up for, and she was very determined. She managed to last one hour and 15 minutes. We were all quite impressed. We arrived in Cape Town just before dinner and had a few minutes in our rooms – which were lovely and had balconies with good views – before we jumped back on the bus and headed to the V and A Waterfront for dinner. Many other members of the orchestra and I ended up in a lovely Italian restaurant. The meal was lovely and I had a nice conversation with the owner about the orchestra and what we were doing there. Then after another group picture it was back to the best western for the night. A good nights sleep was needed for the busy day ahead....
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 6, 2015 | South Africa 2015
Our night’s accommodation for our pit stop on the way to Cape Town was the Wilderness Hotel Resort and Spa. This was a big step up from our ‘prison’ the previous two nights. We all tucked into a wonderful buffet before heading off to use the wifi and relax in our rooms for a while before bed. Or in my case watch X-Men. Then it was an early night as we were all very tired from the early rise. I managed to have a full 9 hours of sleep, which has greatly helped me to recover from my cold. After breakfast and packing the bus, we all walked down to the beach for a quick paddle in the ocean, a game of frisbee and to take a few pictures before we headed back to the buses for our drive to Cape Town. This was a great idea, enjoyed by all. Except when we had to get on the buses with sand in our shoes....
by Hannah Coombs | Jul 6, 2015 | South Africa 2015
We arrived in George and immediately went into a rehearsal for a concert. The venue was great, it was a massive open hall with hundreds of chairs and almost every single one was filled during our concert. We played a full set list with two halves, one half even showcased the premier of a new group consisting of David Moore, Niall McHugh, Fraser Graham and Andrew Spence playing some fantastic music which both the audience and the orchestra enjoying listening to for the first time. Everything went well and I even had a great conversation with a member of the audience during the interval who had nothing but praise for our musical talents, he also happened to be a double bass player himself, so we chatted for most of the break. At the end of the concert I also got to speak to the owners of one of the double basses that we borrow for the afternoon, they were wonderful people who told me all about the history of the bass itself and that it belonged to their son who was currently out of the country. In the past he had travelled with his orchestra and also borrowed double basses when he went so this was their chance to return the favour. I am happy to report that the orchestra are ever so slowly learning to smile during concerts and this has been the best so far, but we still have some way to go. If all concerts are a good as this one then I think we will have a lot to smile about. -Hannah (Photos are from a beautiful selection...
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